The National Trust for Historic Preservation visits Huntington Beach

On a hot August afternoon, the team from the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Washington D.C. and West Coast offices tour downtown Huntington Beach.  They stopped in to meet the owners at the M.E. Helme House Furnishing Co. on Walnut Avenue, now an antique store and a National Register for Historic Places property. (Photo, August 20, 2014)

   In town to see Huntington Beach's Historic Wintersburg property---named this year as one of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation---a team from the National Trust also viewed some of the historic downtown.  One of their stops was the M.E. Helme Furnishing Company and Worthy House (read about it at http://historichuntingtonbeach.blogspot.com/2012/08/historic-walking-tour-6-me-helme-house.html).

   This is the first time ever in the 27-year history of the America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list that an Orange County historical site has been included.  Historic Wintersburg is the only historic site named in the western continental United States, the majority on the list being east of the Mississippi.  Also on the list are historic places such as Frank Lloyd Wright's Spring House in Tallahassee, Florida; The Palisades in New Jersey; the Union Terminal in Cincinnati, Ohio; and the Chattanooga State Office Building in Chattanooga, Tennessee. 

   Read about why Historic Wintersburg made the list here http://historicwintersburg.blogspot.com/2014/06/national-trust-announces-americas-11.html and about how preservation of Historic Wintersburg can transform a north Huntington Beach neighborhood here http://historicwintersburg.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-history-of-wintersburg-village.html

Southern California photographer Prentice Danner was assigned the feature about the effort to save Historic Wintersburg for the Summer 2014 edition of the National Trust's Preservation Magazine, Penning History. (Photo, April 18, 2014)

   The endangered pioneer farm and mission property of Historic Wintersburg is bringing national and international attention and recognition to the rich history of Huntington Beach.  A sampling of the regional and national media coverage:

Preservation Nation: http://blog.preservationnation.org/2014/02/19/race-save-japanese-american-history-historic-wintersburg-village/#.U_jhOWPnGXM

Smithsonian Magazine: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/americas-most-endangered-historic-places-180951839/?utm_source=twitter.com&no-ist

Rafu Shimpo: http://www.rafu.com/2014/06/wintersburg-site-named-to-list-of-endangered-historic-places/

KPPC Southern California Public Radio: http://www.scpr.org/blogs/multiamerican/2014/07/18/17025/oc-japanese-american-most-endangered-wintersburg/

   Aptly put by the National Trust, "This site has a much broader and much more uplifting story about building community, establishing your identity.  The ultimate American immigrant story."  An American story embodied by a Huntington Beach pioneer property.  Help save Historic Wintersburg's historic goldfish farm and mission from demolition.

Join the effort to save Historic Wintersburg:

FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/pages/Historic-Wintersburg-Preservation-Task-Force/433990979985360

DONATE to the dedicated Historic Wintersburg Preservation Fund http://www.huntingtonbeachca.gov/i_want_to/give/donation-wintersburg.cfm

TWITTER @SurfCityWriter and  @WintersburgHB

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